The cleaning of carcasses in the preparation of any food product can be an unsanitary and time consuming task. Further, without a cleaning routine which follows an ordered process of steps to completely sanitize carcass meat, any number of problems may arise. Carcass meat may retain pathogens or infectious microbes (E. coli) or become increasingly more contaminated if viscera is allowed to rupture or is not properly removed. Further, incomplete cleaning of the carcass meat may also result in the presence of infectious microbes making the meat unsuitable for consumption.
PURAC.RTM. is a natural lactic acid produced by fermentation from sugar. It has a mild acid taste and is widely used in the food industry as an acidulant. PURAC.RTM. is an effective decontaminating agent for use with poultry, beef and pork carcasses and slaughter by-products. PURAC.RTM. is most effective at a use concentration of between 1 and 2 percent, and can be used at several different points in the slaughter line. Application immediately after hide removal reduces the amount of microorganisms entering subsequent processing steps, while treatments after evisceration and prior to chilling have the greatest residual effects. Mountney et al. also discuss the use of lactic acid to lower bacterial counts and otherwise preserve poultry in "Acids As Poultry Meat Preservatives" in Poultry Science, 44: 582, 1965. Blankenship et al. discussed the destruction of Salmonella contaminates on fajita chicken meat in "Efficacy of Acid Treatment Plus Freezing To Destroy Salmonella Contaminates Of Spice Coated Chicken Fajita Meat" in Poultry Science, Vol. 69, Supp., 1990, p. 20. Adams et al. discuss the use of propylene glycol, sodium lactate, and lactic acid in chill water to reduce salmonella contamination of processed broilers. (See, Effects of Various Chill Water Treatments on Incidents and Levels of Salmonella on Processed Carcasses, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville). Izat et al. discuss the effects of lactic acid on commercial broiler carcasses in reducing salmonella counts in Poultry Science, Vol. 69, Supp. 1990, p. 152; Journal of Quality, Vol. 13, 1990 p. 295-306; and Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 52, No. 9, pp. 670-673, September 1989. Avens et al. discuss the pasteurization of turkey carcasses and the reduction of salmonella using lactic acid in Poultry Science, Vol. 51, 1972, p. 1781. Mulder et al. in 1987 Poultry Science 66: 1555-1557 reports a study of treating broiler carcasses with lactic acid, 1-cysteine and hydrogen peroxide. The treatment with lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide resulted in a 4-log cycle reduction in colony forming units of Salmonella typhimurium. Nevertheless, use of lactic acid resulted in a slightly changed color of the carcasses and all the treatments with hydrogen peroxide resulted in bleached and bloated carcasses.
Although peroxycarboxylic acids are known to be used for cleaning and sanitizing equipment and other surfaces, they have not been reported for cleaning and sanitizing animal carcasses. Holzhauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,808, describes curing of animal hides with an acetic acid, peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and phosphoric acid combination. The heightened concerns of consumers over the organoleptic purity and safety of meat products, concerns over the environmental and organoleptic impact of many antimicrobial agents currently available, as well as the stringent economies of the meat and poultry industry have resulted in an ongoing need for carcass sanitizing compositions and processes which provide increased sanitization with organoleptic and environmental purity.